As the regular season comes to a close, there are still some things that need to be settled in the muddy SWAC West.
While the SWAC East has been wrapped up by reigning conference champion Jackson State, the SWAC West is up for grabs with three different teams having a chance to win the division in the final two weeks.
Prairie View is in the driver’s seat
Prairie View A&M currently has control of the division with a 5-2 record in conference play followed by Southern Jaguars, Alcorn State, and Texas Southern. They are all 4-3 in conference play.
Prairie View A&M will end its season this Saturday when they go on the road to face Mississippi Valley State. A win over the Delta Devils secures their second straight SWAC West title.
Should Prairie View A&M lose, Texas Southern would clinch the division with a win over Alabama A&M by virtue of holding the tiebreaker over the Panthers, Southern, and Alcorn State.
The Bayou Classic could decide the division
As a result of Southern’s head-to-head victory over Alcorn State, they have the advantage over the Braves in this clinching scenario.
The Jaguars are off Saturday before returning to the field on Nov. 26 to play rival Grambling State in the annual Bayou Classic. They need a win in that contest as well as Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern losses in order to clinch a SWAC championship berth.
Finally, Alcorn State needs a win over Jackson State as well as losses by Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern, and Southern to claim the SWAC West.
The team that claims the top spot would be looking to capture the division’s first conference championship since Grambling State won it in 2017.
